About 20 million people live in the Republic of Cameroon.
The capital is Yaoundé.
French and English are the official languages.
About 65% is Christian, 20% Muslim. Many also practice traditional faiths.
Cameroon enjoys relatively high political and social stability, although power has been firmly in the hands of the authoritarian President Paul Biya for over 30 years.
Read more...Economy: Cameroon has enjoyed a decade of strong economic growth and debt reduction, although high taxes and bureaucratic corruption impedes growth of the private sector.
Cameroons 2012 per-capita GDP is $1142, which is relatively high for Western Africa.
Nevertheless, 10% lives in poverty (below $1.25 per day).
70% of the population farms. Most agriculture is done at the subsistence scale by local farmers using simple tools. Cash crops include coffee, sugar, cotton and tobacco. Reliance on agricultural exports makes Cameroon vulnerable to shifts in their prices. Tourism is a growing sector.
Health: Life expectancy at birth is 52 years, among the lowest in the world.
Education: The literacy rate of Cameroon was 78% for males and 64% for females.
The population averages almost 6 years of schooling.
Most children have access to state-run schools. Cameroon has one of the highest school attendance rates in Africa,
although girls attend school less regularly. Northern schools are chronically understaffed.
Nature:
The southern rainforest cover 40% of Cameroon and has vast timber reserves.
Laws mandate the safe and sustainable exploitation of timber. Nevertheless, in practice, the industry is one of the least regulated in Cameroon.
The country suffers from deforestation, although the commercial bushmeat trade has now surpassed deforestation as a major threat to wildlife in Cameroon.

EDUCATIONSchool on Wheels, 2008-2010
School on Wheels takes children to school, and teachers to children. Apart from reading and writing, children are taught practical skills and competences that they... more

French Cameroon became independent of France in 1960 under President Ahidjo, and united a year later with the formerly British Southern Cameroons. Ahidjo concentrate his power, making his party the sole legal political party as of 1966. Ahidjo pursued an liberal economic growth policy, although many major development projects failed through mismanagement and cronyism.
After more than 20 years as President, Ahidjo transferred power in 1982 to his constitutional successor, Paul Biya. Biya initially moved toward a more democratic government, but a failed coup nudged him toward the leadership style of his predecessor. A long period of economic decline followed due to corruption, mismanagement and international economic conditions.
Cameroon turned to foreign aid, privatised industries and re-introduced multi-party politics in 1990 (although Biya still remains in firm power as President).
The English-speaking territories of Cameroon increasingly call for greater autonomy. Some groups even call for secession.

Project details

Teacher Training on school gardens, Cameroon, 2018-2021
IDAY is a network organisation with members in 19 countries which helps local civil society organisations advocate good education for all children. IDAY-Cameroun was founded in 2010 and has 24 local member organisations.
In Cameroon, IDAY is helping 60 schools build school gardens with food crops and medicinal plants, including anti-malarial plants. The teachers learn to use the school gardens for improved and more enjoyable lessons, and the children are better able to learn with a full stomach. The medicinal plants help reduce sickness absence. The first year is starting with six schools, with six teachers being trained by the Belgian organisation Leraars zonder Grenzen (Teachers without Borders). 18 and 36 schools respectively will be added in the subsequent years, with the previous batch of teachers each training two more colleagues. Reduced pupil and teacher absenteeism will eventually improve school results, and 5,280 pupils will benefit from better lessons.

Strengthening the 'sandwich' educational method in rural Cameroon, 2017-2019
DISOP Cameroon is formalising the sandwich method of teaching in Cameroon. This involves alternating two weeks in the classroom with two weeks of practical experience. This means there is a continuous interchange between market needs and the training requirements, and training is better aligned with the market. Formalising the method in curricula, training and lobbying increases the value of the educational certificate and makes the schools eligible for state aid.

The Turing Foundation is contributing €120,000 towards this project, earmarked for the formalisation process and improving the quality of education, of which €24,000 in 2019.

Protecting and restoring nature around water sources, Cameroon, 2016-2019
LiveBuild works with local organisations and communities on sustainable development in the Anglophone western part of Cameroon.
Its projects employ a community-driven approach and are related to water. LiveBuild's goal is to improve access to safe water and adequate sanitation. This initiative is by three communities (Manganjo) that want to build a water supply system connecting their villages to a water source above the villages. An essential aspect of ensuring the long-term water supply is protecting and restoring the catchment area by planting trees and encouraging sustainable land use.

The Turing Foundation is contributing €95,000 towards this project (about 50% of the total budget), of which €30,000 in 2018.

Quality improvement and continuation vocational education, Cameroon, 2016-2019
The Dutch foundation Babungo has been committed to improving health care and education in the Babungo valley in Cameroon for the last eight years.
It provides, among other things, the annual school fees for 274 disadvantaged children.
This project includes not only school fees for 20 motivated young people at the technical school,
but also training for 20 local artisans by a qualified teacher. They learn how to give pupils a good internship.
This increases the exchange between the 'market' and the course, which will improve the quality of the course.

The Turing Foundation is contributing €22,500 (50% of the total budget) towards this project (of which €4,500 in 2018).

Quality Education with local co-investment, North West Region, Cameroon, 2017-2019
The Turing Foundation has been supporting Knowledge for Children with their book programme in Cameroon since 2009.
The foundation teaches primary schools how to manage their stock of schoolbooks independently within three years,
trains teachers to teach students better, and facilitates new community leaders to ensure good education in the long term.
More than 100 schools have now completed this process. This project is focusing on a new group of 21 schools.

In two years 700 young people from rural areas have completed the one-year or three-year sustainable agriculture training course at one of the twenty FFSs.
The students learn about sustainable farming techniques and management skills at school, which they then apply in practice at 300 farms and agricultural businesses.

The Turing Foundation is contributing €30,000 (20% of the budget) towards this project, of which €15,000 in 2017.

Teacher training and a community-led library, Bameli Village, Cameroon, 2015-2016
The AgriDynamic Foundation is committed to improving school performance by training teachers and providing better teaching materials. After the good results of an earlier project supported by the Turing Foundation in Bamessing, AgriDynamic is expanding its activities to another village: Bameli. Establishing a library with all the necessary textbooks and training teachers will enable the 1,270 children from four primary schools to learn better. The availability of teaching materials and the use of more active teaching methods improve students' school performance, lowers the number of children who repeat a year and decreases dropout rates.

Teacher training and a community led library, Bameli Village, Kameroen, 2015

Schoolbook project for primary schools, Cameroon, 2013-2015
Knowledge for Children supports rural schools in Northwest Cameroon in setting up a proper book collection as well as a teacher training for the effective use of books in education. A book fund is also being realized, so the schools will be able eventually to manage and add to the book collection themselves. Knowledge for Children wants to improve the level of education for primary-school pupils (6-14 years old). After a very successful first phase, Knowledge for Children wants to accelerate the expansion of the program so by 2015, 200 schools have access to books. In the meantime, teachers and teaching assistants are offered on-the-job trainings, and a pilot involving two mobile libraries will be started.

The Turing Foundation previously donated € 90,000 to the successful first phase of the project,
and supports the next three years with € 90.000 (€20.000 of which in 2015).

Schoolbooks for a primary school in Northwest Cameroon, Turing Project Visit, March 2012

Revolving library and teacher training, Bamessing, Kameroen, 2014-2015
To help improve school results, the AgriDynamic Foundation arranges better teaching materials and facilities in Cameroon. After a successful pilot at a primary school in Bamessing, AgriDynamic has decided to scale to 6 other primary schools. By setting up a revolving library, 1760 children will have access to teaching materials. 32 teachers will be trained to teach actively and interactively. In doing so, the foundation expects better school results (an 80% graduation rate rather than 60%) and fewer dropouts (5% instead of 20%).

Vocational training for 100 youths, Cameroon, 2012-2014
Free a Girl (formerly "Stop Child Abuse") and its local partner ASSEJA offer vocational education to 100 underprivileged youths every year. The training consists of 3 months of theory combined with a 6-month to 2-year apprenticeship-based training with existing businesses (duration dependent on the trade). Trainings are offered in 5 cities: Yaoundé, Maroua, Bertoua, Bamenda and Ambam. The most popular courses are silk-screen printing, painting, tailoring, hairdressing/aesthetics, restaurant/pastry making and computer graphics. From previous experience, it turns out that 80% of teenagers that finish their training (on average, there's a 5% dropout rate) start their own self-supporting businesses. The other 20% generally has a good chance of remaining with the small businesses they were trained at.

The Turing Foundation
already supported this activity back in 2011
and will increase its contribution to a total of € 150,000 for the project until 2014 (50% of training costs).
In 2011, the program exceeded all expectations with regards to the number of applications, so ASSEJA decided to assign more than one youth to each trainer.
A total of 105 girls and 40 boys have enrolled in the program. It's currently being looked into whether the overcrowding affects the programs' quality, but it doesn't seem to.
The boys are especially motivated and there are hardly any dropouts.

Two girls who have set up their own businesses after their ASSEJA vocational training. Turing Project Visit, Februari 2012

Improvement of education at 8 primary schools, East and Adamawa Region, Cameroon, 2011-2013
Since 2007, the border of Cameroon's East Region has been host to over 100,000 refugees
from the Central African Republic. In collaboration with the Cameroon Red Cross
and Plan International Cameroon, the UN High Commission for Refugees
wants to improve education at 8 primary schools open to both locals and refugees.
The program involves training new teachers, improving school buildings, providing
furniture and teaching material, and will focus especially on access to education for girls.

Up to and including 2013, the Turing Foundation contributes € 120,000 to this project.

Refugees from the Central African Republic fetching water from the oldest well of Gbiti, Cameroon

School book project for primary schools, Northwest Cameroon, 2010-2012
Knowledge for Children supports rural schools in Northwest Cameroon by building up a decent book stock and effectively using books as an instructional tool in education. A book fund will also be set up in order for the schools to eventually manage and supplement the book stock themselves. With its activities, Knowledge for Children aims at improving the level of education for primary school children between the ages of 6 and 14.

The Turing Foundation contributes about € 90.000 to this project,
of which € 30.000 in 2012.

School books for a primary school in Northwest Cameroon, Turing Project Visit, March 2012

Construction of a new school, Mamfe, Cameroon, 2010-2012
LiveBuild, in association with United Action for Children (UAC), wants to set up a high-quality school in Mamfe. UAC has already realised a similar school in Buea, with smaller classes, quality education, information on HIV and Aids, vocational training, tutoring and computer training. School results of the Buea school are among the best of its area. The school in Mamfe wants to match that success level.

The Turing Foundation will contribute € 25.000 in 2010 for the construction of the school in Mamfe.

Lessons have started downstairs, while a second floor is built on top of the school. Turing Project Visit, March 2012.

Teacher training in Northern Cameroon, 2010-2012
VSO sends out vocational specialists to developing countries in Africa and Asia who can share their knowledge and experience with local organisations, helping them to do their work in a more efficient way. The project that will run in Northern Cameroon for the coming three years means that four specialists will develop training modules for teachers, headmasters, parents' councils and civil servants serving education. Moreover, several activities are organised to make education more accessible to girls.

Organic gardening and 'night paddocks', Cameroon, 2009-2011
Njamnjama is a vegetable similar to spinach. In Cameroon the traditional production of this vegetable has not been able to keep up with the huge demand. It grows extremely fast and can be grown all year round. Today the farmers increasingly use artificial fertilizers and pesticides for the production, causing water pollution and conflicts between villages. By training 150 women and 20 men, and by setting up 6 hectares of organic gardens, the Maingai AGRO-VET Group aims to introduce a tried and tested sustainable agricultural method in the northwest of Cameroon. In between the gardens there will be 'night paddocks', where the manure is collected to improve the soil. Eventually this project should lead to a fivefold increase in revenues.

The Turing Foundation finances this project that runs until 2011 through IUCN NL (€ 33,000). The Maingai AGRO-VET Group collaborates with ANCO, another partner in nature conservation of the Turing Foundation in this region.

Women at work on their own BOFA farm, Turing project visit, Februari 2012

Vocational training for 100 youths, Cameroon, 2011
Stop Kindermisbruik (No Child Abuse) and its local partner ASSEJA
want to offer vocational training to 100 underprivileged youths,
The trainings will consist of 3 months of theory and an apprentice-based
training of 6 months up to 2 years (depending on the trade) at small existing businesses.
The program will be offered in four cities: Yaoundé, Maroua, Bertoua and Ebolowa.
The most popular trades are silk-screen printing, painting, tailoring,
hairdressing/aesthetics, restaurant/pastry making and computer graphics.
From previous experience, it turns out that 80% of teenagers that finish
their training (on average, there's a 5% dropout rate) start their own
self-supporting businesses. The other 20% generally has a good chance of remaining
with the small businesses they were trained at.

In 2011, the Turing Foundation will contribute € 38,000 to the project (50% of training costs).

Four girls who have set up their own clothing business after two years of ASSEJA vocational training. Turing Project Visit, Februari 2012

Restoration of Mountain Forests by Introduction of Analogue Forestry, Bamenda High Mountains, Cameroon, 2008-2010
CENDEP introduces and stimulates the durable cultivation of forest products. The highlands of Bamenda are sometimes referred to as the storehouse of Cameroon. Many original forests have lost ground to agriculture and cattle breeding. As a consequence, the quality of the soil and drinking water noticeably declines, while erosion and poverty increase. In order to break out of this spiral, CENDEP and IUCN NL are creating an exemplary project for long-lasting increase of income through analogue forestry techniques. These entail the protection and recovery of original vegetation, combined with the planting of income generating varieties.

The Turing Foundation finances this project, which runs until 2010 (€ 93.500).

Part of the CENDEP project area, destroyed by fire (possibly arsony as a result of a quarrel between project stakeholders). Turing Project Visit, Februari 2012

School on Wheels, Cameroon, 2008-2010
One Men's School on Wheels project, in association with United Action for Children, dedicates itself to alternative education aimed at competence development and vocational training for children between the ages of 6 and 13. School on Wheels brings children to school and teachers to children. Besides reading and writing, School on Wheels also wants to teach the children practical skills and competences they will need to survive in their own communities, such as extra vocational training that will enable them to find jobs as electricians, ICT professionals, carpenters or painters.

Up to and including 2010, the Turing Foundation will be co-financing this project so it can
expand to reach 6,000 children in Mamfe, Kousseri and Kumba (€ 150,000, of which € 50,000 in 2010).

One of the Turing Foundation busses for School on Wheels, Cameroon, Turing project Visit, March 2012

Educational projects Liliane Foundation 2009
The Liliane Foundation provides direct, small-scale and tailor-made help to handicapped children and young people in developing countries. In many cases, the Liliane Foundation helps those children to go to school. What especially appeals to the Turing Foundation is that the Liliane Foundation in this way offers opportunities to children who cannot be helped by any other educational relief organisation, because their needs are too small-scaled. Often, these needs concern one single child in a location where education is available despite poverty, but of which the child cannot make use because of its handicap.

Just like last year, the Turing Foundation donates € 150,000 to the Liliane Foundation in 2009
for help to children in the field of education.
With this amount, the Liliane Foundation will be able to help more than 3,000 children
in Cameroon, D.R. Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Burkina Faso.

Community Forest, Bamenda High Mountains, Cameroon, 2008-2010
ANCO introduces and stimulates sustainable agriculture and other types of durable sources of income. In the Bamenda High Mountains of Cameroon, where CENDEP introduces analogue forestry pilots, ANCO and IUCN NL together start an exemplary project in the Western part of the mountains. The project allows members of the Dom community to exploit the relatively intact forest in a durable way and to reduce the burden of agriculture and cattle breeding on the forest. 120 acres of degraded forest will be restored and the community will be trained and provided with materials for sustainable use of the forest, sustainable agriculture and cattle breeding, erosion control, apiculture and sustainable market gardening.

The Turing Foundation funds this project, which runs until 2010 (€ 53,500).

School Books for Developing Countries, 2007-2008
The Read to Grow Foundation collects English language recreational and school books and sends them to village schools in developing countries where books and information are scarce.

Read to Grow operates more and more successfully in the Netherlands and the UK. The Turing Foundation contributes € 32,000 in 2007 and 2008 to propagate the Read to Grow concept in other European countries.